Space air conditioning means



Sept. 26, 1961 Filed Dec. 29, 1958 AIR CONDITIONING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 26, 1961 P. F. swENsoN ETAL 3,001,479

SPACE AIR CONDITIONING MEANS Filed Deo. 29, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 26, 1961 P. F. swENsoN ET AL 3,001,479

SPACE AIR CONDITIONING MEANS Filed Deo. 29, 1958 5 sheets-sheet s HVL/N757 R5 N i Pau/ f wemsan Myron 7.' @apen/'der m/ sept. 26, 1961 Filed Deo. 29. 1958 P. F. SWENSON ET AL SPACE AIR CONDITIONING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 26, 1961 Filed Deo. 29, 1958 P. F. swENsoN ET AL SPACE AIR CONDITIONING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 29, 1958, Ser. No. 783,404 13 Claims. (Cl. 103-8'7) This invention relates generally to improved space air conditioning systems in which either heated or chilled fluid, as required, is pumped from a respective source thereof to a heat exchanger in a space to be heated where the air in the space is temperature conditioned by contact with a heat conducting barrier separating the air from the water. The particular type of tiuid heating or chilling means to be used is no part of this invention.

More particularly this invention relates to improved devices largely contributing to the successful operation of such systems.

Systems of this type usually require power means for circulating the heating or cooling fluid and many times for circulating the air to be conditioned. Such power means have previously been required to have rotating parts on both sides of the barrier between the space air and the circulating fluid with consequent rotating parts extending through the barrier.

Providing a reliable seal at the barrier around such a rotating part has been found to be expensive, costly to maintain and high in frictional power loss. Indeed, in applications of this type in home heating some instal1ations have shown that of the pump power required about sixty percent is used up in shaft seal friction.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide for each of a plurality of spaces to be air conditioned an air conditioner including a heat exchanger with a barrier of high heat conduction ability in contact on one side with the air in the space and on the other side with fluid preconditioned to condition the space air as required, together with power means for circulating either the space air or air conditioning Huid through the heat exchanger and thermostatic means responsive to the temperature of the space air for controlling the actionof the power means.

It is a second object to provide such an air conditioner having a heat exchanger, power means and control system which will be low in rst cost, low in maintenance ex pense, quiet in operation and effective for its purpose.

It is a third object to provide such a power means requiring rotating parts on both sides of the barrier between the space air and the air conditioning fluid with coupling means for said rotating parts requiring no mechanical connection across the said barrier and requiring no opening to be sealed at said barrier.

How these and other objects are attained is disclosed in the following description referring to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic showing of a first form of the improved air conditioning system of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic showing of a second form of the improved air conditioning system of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic showing of a third form of the improved air conditioning system or this invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic showing of a fourth form of the improved air conditioning system of this invention.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation, with cover removed, of the form of air conditioner and associated parts shown in FIG. l.

FIG. 6 is a sectional side elevation along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation, with cover removed, of the aient shirts 2 form of air conditioner and associated parts shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a sectional side elevation along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a fragmental sectional side elevation along the line 9-9 of FIG. 5.

FIG. l0 is a fragmental sectional side elevation along the line 10-10 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a side elevation view in partial section of the electric motor driven circulating fluid pump indicated for its several uses in FIGS. 1 to 4.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts in the several iigures of the drawings.

It should be noted that the air conditioner of FIGS. l, 5, 6 and 9 is an improved equivalent for hot uid heating and cooling use of the steam equipment shown in the prior U.S. Patent No. 2,692,759, issued October 26, 1954, to M. O. Swenson et al., assigned by mesne assignments to the Iron Fireman Manufacturing Company, the assignee of the present application.

Referring now to FIGS. l, 5, 6 and 9, shown in perspective in FIG. l is a source 15 of iluid maintained by means, not shown, at desired seasonal 'temperatures of, say, 200 F. during the colder weather and 40 F. during the warmer weather. Since the means for controlling the temperature of fluid is old in the art and no part of this invention no further discussion of the apparatus 15 will be given here.

Motor driven pump 16 which can be like that shown in FIG. ll draws uid from source 15 through pipe 17 and discharges the fluid, under a pressure required for the particular installation, into manifold pipe 18 from which branch pipes 19 each lead to a respective tluid control valve 20 secured to the frame support 21 of its air conditioner unit 22 by means not shown.

As indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, U-shaped bimetal 23, or other room sensitive means, supported at one end on bracket 24 secured to the case of control valve 20 is linked at its other end to strut 25 the other end of which is linked to the exposed end of stem 26, the inner end of which, by means not a part of this invention, controls the amount of fluid passed by valve 20 in accordance with the demands of thermostatic element 23 positioned as shown in the space air stream leading through inlet ring 29 of fan housing 30 to space air circulating fan 27 which blows air upwardly and outwardly through the air passages of heat exchanger 28 and back into the space to be air conditioned.

According to the internal arrangement of control valve mechanism 20 uid either would be passed intermittently at a maximum Volume rate for periods of time controlled by element 2.3 or will be passed continuously at a volume rate modulated by element 23. In either case the fluid passed by valve 20 is ejected through turbine nozzle 31 into turbine casing 32 against the blades 33 of turbine wheel 34 from where the fluid leaves turbine casing 32 by way of pipe line 35 and goes to heat exchanger 28 and temperature conditions the space air as the uid passes the exchanger and leaves by branch line 36 on its way back to source 15 through return line 37.

As positioned in perspective drawing FIG. 1, the fluid source 15 and one of the yair conditioners 22 are indicated to be on a lower iloor of a residence, three of the air conditioners 22 are indicated to be in three rooms on the iirst floor and one of the air conditioners are indicated to be on the second floor. Referring to FIG. 9, back plate 38 secured to turbine body 32 by screws 39 is secured to frame 21 by screws, not shown. Stationary shaft 40 is threaded into back plate 38 and secured therein by lock nut 41. Shaft 40 is seen to be enlarged in diameter adjacent its free end. Clamped along the smaller diameter length of shaft 40 beginning at plate ing journal, sleeve 43; packed sealing washer 44; non magnetic gap sealing cap 45; packed sealing washer 46 and cup Washer 47 pressed against the shoulder of shaft 40. 1

The open end ot sealing cup 45 is secured into the large centralopening in turbine'hody 32, as shown.

Pressed securely into turbine bearing support sleeve 51 are turbine` bearings 49, 5,8. Sealing washers 42, 44 act as end thrust abutments for bearings 49, 5i). Turbine wheel 34 and' cylindrical driving magnet 52 are secured to bearing support sleeve 51. To prevent dirt from the turbine fluidbeing carried into the uid lled gap between the perimeter of magnet 52 and sealing cup 45 a Teflon or other suitable flexible sheet seal 53 in annular form isA positioned'as shown between metal washers 54, 55 pressed into turbine body 32.

When fluidfrom pipe 19 is admitted through valve 20 and nozzle 31 to impinge on turbine Wheel 34 in casing 32, wheel 34 will revolve with bearings 49, 50 on journal sleeve43 and take with it magnet 52 also mounted on bearing support sleeve 51.

The blade supporting plate 56- of double entrance space air circulating fan 27 is secured by rivets 57 to hub 58 secured to the exterior supporting sleeve 59 of fan bearings 60, 61, pressed therein between stationary thrust washers 62, 63, supported axially against cup washer 47 and cup washer 64 secured to the free end of shaft 40 by screw 65. The space between bearings 6,0, 61 is filled with lubricated wool packing as shown.

Secured at its small end to fan bearing support sleeve 59 to rotate therewith is funnel shaped support 66 for driven magnet 67 rotatably carried thereby in radially outwardly spaced relation with gap sealing cup 45.

It should be noted that concentric, radially spaced driving magnet 52 and driven magnet 67 are permanent magnets. Magnet 52 is charged with 8 alternate North and South poles circumferentially about its outer surface while magnet 65 is similarly charged about its inner surface.

Thus when turbine Wheel 34 rotates and takes magnet 52 with it, the magnetic coupling of magnets 52 and 67 across the magnetic gap, which includes sealing cup 45 with fluid inside and air outside, causes magnet 67 soon to hold step with magnet 52 and thus to cause fan 27 to rotate in synchronism with turbine wheel 34. While there can be no possible leakage opening across the barrier between the `air space in which fan 27 is located and the fluid spaces in which turbine wheel 34 is located, the amount ofV fluid required through the heat exchanger to satisfy the desired temperature condition in the space air and the air circulation through the heat exchanger to create the desired condition are coordinated.

Having described the system of FIG. l with its equipment of FIGS. 5, 6 and 9 it is understood that this system needs no electrical devices in the space to be heated since the thermostatic valve control 23 and the turbine drive for the fan, control lthe temperature of the space as desired.

Turning now to the system of FIG. 2 with its equipment of FIGS. 7, 8 and l0, we find a system much like the system ofFIG. l with a source 115 ofv conditioned fluid, a pluralityof air conditioners 122, a conditioned uid main 118, a used fluid return main 137, a fluid circulating pump 116, a return line 117 by which pump 116 returns the fluid from pipe 137 to source 115, individual pipe lines 119 from main 118 -to air conditioners 122 and individual return lines 185 from air conditioners 122 to return main 137.

Because in the scheme of FIG. l the motive power for circulating fluid through the system and for circulating airv and uid through the air conditioners comes from pump .16 it might be that the pressure required in main 18 would be greater than thought to be desirable for fluid source 15, the pump 16 is located on the outlet side of source V15. But in the scheme of FIG. 2 it will be seen in FIGS. 7, 8 and 10 that electric motors 158 will indvidually drive impellers 134 in pump casings 132 to push fluid to the individual heat exchangers 128. Therefore in the FIG. 2 system the duid pressure across pump 116 will be low and pump 116- can be located on the inlet side of uid source 115, as shown, if desired.

In FIGS. 7, 8 and 10 individual air conditioner drive motor 158 is shown to be somewhat resiliently carried on four resilient wires 151, 152, 153, 154 each secured at one end by ya respective screw, 154g, 155, 156, 157, to inlet ring 129 of housing 138 of space air circulating fan wheel 127. The four other ends of wires 151 to 154 each make more than a complete turn about motor 150 and are `clamped around the motor in pairs by bolts 158, 159 as shown in FIG. 7.

In FIG. 2 individual space air temperature responsive thermostats 123 `are indicated to be in control of the respective air conditioners 122. This means, of course, that each motor 158 is started and stopped, or modulated in speed, in response to its thermostat 123, depending on whether the thermostat, motor and connecting electric control means are designed for start-stop or for speed modulating control. Since these control systems per se are well known in the art and not a novel part of this invention no further description of the control system is here given.

In FIG. l() it is seen that back plate 138 secured to Huid circulating pump body 132 by screws 139 is secured to frame 121 by screws 160. Slot headed stationary bolt is Ythreaded through plate 138 and secured therein by lock nut 141. Stationary outboard bearing 161 for motor shaft 162 is longitudinally serially positioned along bolt 140 between its head 163 and plate 138 with other stationary parts non-magnetic gap sealing cup 145, packed sealing washer 144, pump bearing journal sleeve 143 and packed sealing washer 142. Cup is made of material having high electrical resistance.

Gap sealing cup 145 at its open end is pressed through and sealed into pump inlet chamber wall 164 at 165 and then terminates sealingly in wall 166 as shown.

Driven magnet 167 and pump impeller 134 are secured concentrically on the outer surface of pump bearing support sleeve 168 into which pump bearings 169 and 178 are pressedl rotatably to support magnet 167 and impeller 134 on sleeve journal 143. Bearings 169 and 170 are positioned in sleeve 168 endwise to abut sealing washers 142 and 144.

Pressed into gap sealing cup 145 is annular support 172 for Teonseal 173 for the purpose of preventing dirt in the pump water from contaminating the magnet 167. -Pressed into pump Wall 166 is retainer 174 to hold Teflon seal175 to prevent recirculation of pump water 4from the outlet to the inlet of impeller 134.

Motor shaft 162 piloted in stationary bearing 161 supports thereon to rotate therewith fan hub 176 with cylindrical holder 177 secured thereto to support driving magnet 178 rotatably therewith. Blade supporting plate 179 is secured by screws 180 to hub 176 of fan Wheel 127.

Magnets 167, 178 of FIG. 10 are the same as magnets 52, 67 above described for FIG. 9.

When a thermostat 123 of FIG. 2 responsive to the space air temperature starts the electric motor 150 of FIGS. 7, 8 and l0, the fan wheel 127 and magnet 178 revolve with motor shaft 162. The magnetic coupling of magnets 178, 167 of FIG. 10, as previously described for magnets 52, 67 of FIG. 9, causes pump impeller 134 to rotate in synchronism with motor shaft 162 and fan wheel 127 to pump water from main 118 through pipe 119 and holes 181 in sealing cup, 145 to the inlet 182 of pump impeller 134 from the outlet of which and the interior of pump casing 132 the water is discharged through pipe 183 and heat exchanger 184 to return pipe 185 and return main 137.

It is seen that (FIG. 2) with water from source 115 being maintained in readiness to serve in pipes 118, 137 by pump 116 the individual motors required to operate sputare the individual air fan wheels 127 and the individual pump impellers 134 (FIG. l0) will be of small capacity since the working loads will be small and the friction loads of previously used water seals have been entirely eliminated by the use of the presently disclosed magnetic coupling drive.

To be more explicit it has been found that with a typical air conditioning unit like 122 and water supplied from a source like 115, then when air heating is desired pump motor 150 will cause pump .132 to put 2 gallons of water per minute through heat exchanger 134 with an inlet temperature of 180 F. and an outlet temperature of 167 F. At the same time fan wheel 127 will circulate 155 c.f.m. of air from the space to be heated at 70 F. through the heat exchanger and back to the space at 153 F., a heat exchange of about 12,500 Btu. per hour.

Similarly with the same air conditioner and two gpm. of cold water at 40 F. through the heat exchanger and 150 c.f.m. of space air through the heat exchanger the outlet water will be about 44.5 and the outlet air at about 56 or a heat exchange of about 4,100 Btu. per hour.

In installations of this type it is entirely practical to specify air conditioners capable of carrying the highest heating or cooling load needed for the design load of the space since the space air temperature responsive control will use the equipment only as required.

Preliminary experience with these air conditioners indicates that the motor input requirements will be low enough so that both motor and control wiring at 25 volts rating will be feasible and therefore will materially reduce the wire costs over that of other available systems.

The scheme of FIG. 3 is the same as that of FG. 2 with the exception that only a single main line 118, 117 with pump 116 is shown and special fittings, not shown, are used in line 11S where lines 119 and line 185 leave and return respectively to line 11S. This single line type of installation is well known in the` art.

FlG. 4 shows how the improved relatively frictionless pump of FIG. 11 with its small size and low power requirement may be applied individually and with thermostatic control to installed old style water systems. If heating alone is desired the water source 115 would be the old installed boiler but if both heating and cooling is desired a cold water provision and switching control must be added to the water source.

FIG. l1 shows the modification of the motor, fan and pump arrangement of FlG. l0 used with the scheme of FIG. 2 and the air conditioner of FGS. 2, 7, 8 and 10, when the 216 motor and pump arrangement of FIG. 1l is to be used in the FIG. 4 scheme. In practice of course the motor and pump combination would be much more compact but the design is here stretched out clearly to show that all that is required for FIG. ll is to leave the fan off of the FIG. arrangement and the previously given description of FIG. 10 will here apply.

It is apparent to those familiar in the art that the scheme and required accessories of FIGS. 4 and 11 are cheaper to produce, easier to install and cheaper to maintain than the motorized valve and thermostat arrangements previously provided for this purpose. In addition the present scheme of FIGS. 4 and ll give immediate and forced response of conditioned water on a call for heat.

Having listed some of the objects of our invention, illustrated and described two most desirable forms in which our invention may be practiced, shown how our invention may be used in modernizing older systems and explained the operation thereof, we claim:

1. rThe combination of a fluid pump with an electric motor and magnetic means driven by said motor to drive said pump: said motor including a stator secured in a motor frame, and a rotor including a shaft rotatably supported in said frame on an axis coaxial with said stator; said pump including a hollow casing, an impeller and casing; said casing including a partition formed across the interior thereof to divide said interior into a fluid inlet space and an impeller space, said partition being formed with a iirst circular hole therethrough `and the outer wall of said inlet space of said casing being formed with a second circular hole therethrough coaxial with said irst hole; said shaft means including a dead shaft supported on said casing at the outer wall of said impeller space to extend across both said spaces coaxially through both said holes anda hollow shaft rotatably supported on said dead shaft coaxially therewith; said impeller including a radial vane part normal to said shafts and a cylindrical hub part coaxial with said hollow shaft secured on said hollow shaft to rotate therewith, said hub part extending through said iirst circular hole into said inlet space and said hub part being formed with a Huid inlet hole therethrough from its end in said inlet space to its vane part in said impeller space; said casing being formed with a fluid inlet passage to said inlet space and a fluid outlet opening from said impeller space; said magnetic means including a tubular cylindrical first magnet secured over said hollow shaft to rotate therewith on the end thereof outside said inlet space; and said combination including means for securing said motor frame `and said pump casirigfin axial alignment of said motor shaft with said dead s a t.

2. The combination of claim l in which said last men- :tioned means includes bearing means secured on the free end of said dead shaft coaxially rotatably to receive the free end of said motor shaft.

3. The combination of claim 1 including a non-magnetic cylindrical walled cup having an open end and a closed end, said cup extending coaxially away from said casing on the inlet side thereof with the open end of said cup secured coaxially around said second circular hole and the cylindrical wall of said cup enclosing said first magnet and radially spaced therefrom.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which the closed end of said cup is axially secured to said dead shaft.

5. The combination of claim 1 including a tubular cylindrical second magnet coaxially supported on said motor shaft for rotation therewith, said second magnet being radially spaced outwardly of said first magnet with said cylindrical wall of said cup radially spaced from each of said magnets and therebetween.

`6. The combination of claim l including means secured to said casing and slidingly mating with said hollow shaft to seal said second circular hole in said casing.

7. The combination of claim 1 including means secured to said partition and slidingly mating with said hollow shaft to seal said first circular hole in said partition.

8. A liquid pump having a hollow body with a stationary shaft secured across the inten'or space of said body between opposite walls thereof; a tubular bearing rotatably secured on said shaft across said interior space, said interior space being divided by rst and second axially spaced transverse barriers perpendicular to said shaft into an impeller space at one side of said barrier, an inlet space between said barriers, and a coupling space` on the other side of said barriers; the outside walls of said inlet space and said impeller space being formed respectively with liquid inlet and outlet openings therein; a liquid impeller having a cylindrical hub section secured coaxially on said tubular bearing in said inlet space and said impeller space to rotate lwith said bearing, a radial disk section perpendicular to said bearing in said impeller space, and a plurality of liquid conduits entering said hub section in said inlet space and leaving said radial disk outwardly in said impeller space; said barriers being formed with central holes therethrough larger than said impeller hub; said rst barrier between said inlet. space and said impeller space including a resilient seal extending inwardly therefrom substantially to close the annular gap between said barrier and said hub; the part of the exterior shaft means for rotatably supporting said impeller in said (5 wall of said hollow body which encloses said coupling ^7 space beingmade of non-magnetic material and cup shaped in form with the open-end thereof hermetically sealed to vand supportedton said body at said second bara rieroutsidethe central hole therethrough; and a magnetic follower secured co-axially onsaid tubular bearing to rotate therewith within said coupling space.

9. The -combination of a water conduit for circulating w-ater in an airV conditioningsystem, a water circulating pump body with a water inlet connection from said conduit to an inlet space in said body, a water outlet connection from an outlet space in said body to said conduit, a coupling space formed in said body on the opposite side of said inlet space from said outlet space, an impeller shaft supported in said body for rotation in all three of said spaces, an impeller secured on said shaft for rotation therewith, said impeller including a cylindrical hub in both said inlet andl outlet spaces, the inlet end of said impeller being in said inlet space and the outlet end of said impeller 'being in said outlet space, stationary resilient means rotatably sealing said inlet space from Said outlet space about the outer surface of said propeller hub, a magnetic coupling driven part secured on said impeller shaft to rotate therewith, and a nonmagnetic wall in saidbody adjacent said coupling driven part.

l0. The combination of claim 9 with an industry standard electricmotor having a standard shaft extension therefrom to be rotated when said motor energized, means supporting said motor with said motor shaft axially adjacent and axially `aligned with said impeller shaft, a magnetic coupling driving part secured on said motor shaft for rotation therewith and adjacent said magnetic coupling driven part on the opposite side of said nonmagnetic wall therefrom.

11. The combination of claim 9 including resilient means substantially sealing said inlet space from said coupling space about said impeller shaft.

12. The combination of claim 10 in which said means for supporting said motor shaft axially aligned with said impeller shaft includes a socket bearing for said motor shaft secured coaxially with said impeller shaft on-the outside of said pump body at its coupling space end.

13. In combination a three space hollow body for a liquid pump, `a rotor for said pump, and means for driving said rotor; said body having a three space hollow interior with a straight stationary bearing shaft secured therethrough between the extreme outer walls of said body, a rst space of the interior of said body being formed by a rst transverse wall perpendicular to said shaft and internally spaced from a first outer wall into a rotor space for said pump, a second space of the interior of said body being formed between said rst transverse wall and a second transverse wall spaced from said rst transverse-wallintoa liquid inlet space, said first and second transverse walls being formed with coaxial holes formed therethrough radially spaced aboutsaid bearing bolt, the third space of the interior of said'body being` enclosed by said second transverse barrier and a cylindrical side walled cup formed of non-magnetic material to form a coupling space, said cup at its Vopen end being coaxially hermetically sealed into said co-axial hole in said second transverse wall, said cup at its closed end forming the other outer wall of said tbody through which said bolt is coaxially sealed; said rotor for said pump cornprising a rotor bearing sleevev coaxially rotatably supported about said stationary bearing bolt in all three of said body spaces, a liquid impeller coaxially secured on said sleeve to rotate therewith, said impeller including a hub section with a cylindrical outer surface of less diameter than said coaxial hole through said first transverse wall extending through said rst wall from said inlet space to said rotor space, a radial section of said impeller extending radially from said hub section in said rotor space, said impeller including a plurality of liquid conduits entering said hub section parallel with said sleeve from said inlet space and leaving said radial section generally radially outwardly in said rotor space, a generally cylindrical magnetic follower means coaxially secured on said sleeve in said coupling space to extend radiaily near the non-magnetic wall of said space, resilient sealing means secured in said iirst transverse wall in said axial hole therethrough to approach the wall of said rotor hub substantially to close said rotor space from said inlet spaceV except through said conduits; and said means for driving said rotor including a driving shaft supported outside said body in axial alignment with said stationary bearing bolt, a generally cylindrical magnetic driving means axially spaced with said magnetic follower means and radially spaced near the outside of said non-magnetic cylindrical wall of said coupling space and means supporting said magnetic driving means on said driving shaft to rotate therewith.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,819,528 Terry Aug. 18, 1931 2,220,754 Cornell Nov. 5, 1940 2,230,717 De Lancey Feb. 4, 1941 2,245,866 McLachlan June 17, 1941 2,366,562 Schug Jan. 2, 1945 2,474,687 Parrish .lune 28, 1949 2,692,759 Swenson et al. Oct. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 832,795 Germany Feb. 28, 1952 

